Fisheries and Ports Minister K Babu has announced a Rs 60.80-crore bounty for the overall development of the state’s coastal areas. The amount has been allocated from the fund of NABARD for the development of basic facilities in rural areas, said the minister.
The Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation will utilise these funds for drinking water projects, construction of fisheries stations, development of basic facilities in major fisheries areas and for facilitating educational institutions in coastal regions. Funding for drinking water projects alone in coastal region is Rs 12.45 crore.
The projects will be implemented in the fisheries villages of Neendakara in Kollam, Thrikkunapuzha in Alappuzha, Chellanam in Ernakulam, Kaypamangalam in Thrissur and Ajanoor in Kasargod. With this, the government plans to bring an end to the drinking water shortage in these villages. A total of Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for the fisheries station in the four districts of Alappuzha, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kasargod. It has been a long demand from these districts to provide stations in order to enhance the fishermen safety there.
In coastal villages, health care facilities will be developed with Rs 19.63 crore and Rs 26.72 crore has been earmarked for the projects for the development of other basic facilities. Academic blocks will be constructed in Pozhiyoor government UP school in Thiruvananthapuram, Poovar vocational HS school, Puthanthura government ASHS, Alappuzha Valiyazhikal government HSS, Pallana government LP school , Thrikkunapuzha government LP school, Panoor government LP school, Thrissur LP school and Kottikulam government HSS. IP blocks for community health centre in Pulluvizha fisheries region and Poyya PHS will also be constructed.
High-mast lamps will be constructed in fisheries regions in districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur spending Rs 1.75 crore. Fish landing centres of Rs 390 lakh will be set up in Mariyanad, Anjuthengu, Puthukurichi in Thriuvananthapuram, Udayamperoor in Ernakulam and Kaypamangalam in Thrissur. Net mending yards of Rs 149.5 lakh will be developed in four distrricts.